Retractable awnings have been in use for several years. They are often attached to the side of a recreational vehicle, such as a trailer or a motor home. When extended, the awning provides protection from weather elements, such as sun or rain. The awnings are capable of being secured adjacent to the side of the vehicle during transportation and can then be extended out from the side of the vehicle upon stopping.
Prior art retractable awnings have a number of shortcomings. The locking mechanism used to lock the awning supports to the side of the trailer are often cumbersome to use or easily damaged. Some prior art locking mechanisms project out from the awning supports. Due to the nature of the recreational vehicles, this often results in damage to the locking mechanism during transportation.
Most prior art awnings use an upright support with two telescoping members that can be slidably extended in order to adjust the height of the awning shade. In most designs, the two telescoping members are metal tubes or channels that slide within each other. The two telescoping members are free to contact each other while sliding; this results in scratching and gouging of the surface finish of the members. This contact also creates an unpleasant grating noise and feel as the members slide with respect to one another and can result in sticking or binding between the two members.
Most awnings have a handle located on the awning upright supports. This handle is used to unlock the two telescoping members and slidably extend the members in order to raise the height of the awning shade. The telescoping members are unlocked by pulling the handle away from the members and locked by pushing the handle toward the members. This system is clumsy to use and requires the use of both of the user's hands. One hand is required to hold the upright in its extended position, while the other hand is used to push the handle toward the uprights. Furthermore, if the user does not carefully lock the members together once they are extended, the members may freely slide within one another, possibly damaging the awning.
One prior art awning design uses an upper rafter support which includes two pivotally connected arms. Once the awning is extended, the two arms lock in an extended position to ensure that the awning shade remains extended. These arms must be manually unlocked prior to retracting the awning. Often, the awning is mounted on the side of the recreational vehicle in such a way that it is difficult for the average user to reach and unlock the arms.